PDC World Matchplay preview and schedule: Friday 26 July

One is a name we're now used to seeing at the back end of PDC TV tournaments. Michael Smith didn't have it all his own way, but he produced the firepower to eliminate Mervyn King. The other is Glen Durrant, who made his World Matchplay debut less than a week ago. Incredibly, it's Durrant who is now the favourite to go all the way after beating James Wade. There are five players who'll have something to say about that, but the book will be closed on two players' title aspirations on Friday night.

The overwhelming favourite to be dismissed in the World Matchplay quarter-finals is Stephen Bunting. It's no comment on the Bullet himself - he plays second seed Rob Cross. Voltage won't be under the impression that this is a foregone conclusion, even if others do.

There are two sides to the Stephen Bunting coin. The St Helens star has certainly benefited from opponents missing at crucial moments - particularly Ian White, who is either bereft of killer instinct or has the sort of luck a person only gets when they build property on a Native American burial ground.

Then again, Bunting has been excellent at taking the chances he gets. Winning a World Matchplay match against a top player that goes into overtime, twice, is a reminder that the former BDO world champion is a winner.

Rob Cross has been handed two banana skins in the form of Chris Dobey and Krzysztof Ratajski. He's skipped past both with consummate ease. The 2018 world champion would love to be known as a 'multiple major-winner', and his big chance is here, at Blackpool in the World Matchplay. Having the two biggest titles in the game under his belt would be a remarkable boon.

Keeping up a superb record on doubles - a 58.36 per cent success rate across the tournament - will be the key to success.

Robert Marijanovic. Nico Kurz. James Wade. Gabriel Clemens. Mark McGeeney. Kim Huybrechts. Dimitri van den Bergh. Glen Durrant. Vincent van der Voort. Gary Anderson. Justin Pipe. Madars Razma. Alan Norris. Matt Clark. Jeffrey de Zwaan. Devon Petersen. Adrian Gray. Joe Cullen. Vincent van der Voort (again). Simon Whitlock.

That's a full list of the 19 players Peter Wright has beaten consecutively. Two successes against van der Voort makes it a remarkable 20-game winning streak. The top half of the draw has opened up nicely. Could this be Peter Wright's year at the World Matchplay?

The one thing working against Snakebite is that the bottom half of the draw has barely opened up at all. It means that the sixth seed plays the man who has taken his former number three spot. Like Wright, Daryl Gurney was defending a lot of prize money earned in 2017. Back then, the pair met in the semi-finals, and Wright won 17-15 in a thriller.

The Scot has put in two of the top three averages at the World Matchplay so far. There's no doubt that he's the favourite to repeat that 2017 triumph. But having set the bar so high, Wright stands to lose a lot if he can't keep up the form. Gurney will be desperate to make another major semi-final, and avoid being Wright's number 21.

Click here for more information about the World Matchplay, including the prize money breakdown, schedule and format.

Quarter Finals
19:15 Rob Cross v Stephen Bunting
20:45 Peter Wright v Daryl Gurney